In recent years, keto followers have embraced keto coffee—a powdered take on bulletproof coffee that claims to help you reach ketosis faster. But does it help with weight loss?
Rachel Daniels, a registered dietitian and senior director of nutrition at Virtual Health Partners, says keto coffee “is not recommended for weight loss.” Adding keto coffee to a normal diet won’t make you lose weight and could do the opposite. The grass-fed butter in keto coffee raises saturated fat intake and won’t put your body into ketosis if you don’t also cut carbs. (1)
If you’re starting keto or still learning about it, you should check how your coffee fits with the diet. You may wonder which coffees work, how to make them, and how to flavor them without extra carbs or sugar. This guide covers keto coffee drinks so you can enjoy your caffeine without ruining your diet. It also looks at health effects and includes some keto-friendly coffee recipes. For more, you can see articles like Planketogenic’s coffee post.
A high-fat diet helps push your body into ketosis, which is the main idea behind keto coffee. In ketosis, your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose, which can lead to faster weight loss. Keto coffee is high in fat, low in carbs, and has moderate protein. By limiting carbs, your body breaks down fat stores and the liver makes ketones—an alternate fuel source. As your body uses more fat for energy, you may lose weight. (2)
Keto coffee usually contains butter and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. Those fats are turned into ketones by the liver, but only when carbohydrate intake is low. Ketones aren’t always produced right after you drink it. MCTs also help you feel full longer, which can reduce overeating.
Kristen Mancinelli, a registered dietitian and author of The Ketogenic Diet, says the ingredients in keto coffee can make people feel good—more alert, focused, and less hungry. However, many of those effects come from caffeine rather than the added fats. Drinking a lot of keto coffee isn’t the same as following the keto diet and can be harmful. Instead of drinking it with breakfast, some experts suggest having one cup as a meal replacement. Meal replacements should offer some nutrition and be around 300 calories. Also, adding lots of fat to coffee can cause stomach issues and may lead to weight gain.
Plain coffee is naturally low in calories, but coffee itself isn’t “keto.” The fats in keto coffee—MCT oil and butter—help you get most of your calories from fat and support ketosis. Still, the fastest and most reliable way to get into ketosis is to sharply cut carbohydrates. St-Onge pointed out that the goal of keto for weight loss is to make ketones from your body’s fat, not just to get ketones from outside sources like fat bombs, keto coffee, or MCT oil. Eating too much fat can slow how much fat your body burns and may increase fat stores. (4)
For most people trying to lose weight, Kratz recommends black coffee with a little low-fat milk or unsweetened nut milk. But if you follow a strict keto plan, keto coffee can help. Consumed properly, high-fat coffee can raise fat intake and deepen ketosis. Some dietitians suggest adding butter, MCT oil, or coconut oil to your coffee for the same effect as the powdered mixes—but remember butter and coconut oil are high in saturated fat, and current research advises limiting saturated fat for best health. (5)
No matter how much keto coffee you drink, getting into ketosis takes time and varies from person to person.
Research from the Institute of Medicine’s Military Nutrition Research shows caffeine helps sustain mental performance, so keto coffee may offer mental benefits beyond weight loss. Recipes usually include unsalted butter (or grass-fed ghee) and MCT oil. Adding butter to coffee might sound strange, but many find the benefits clear: steady energy from caffeine, fat that helps you feel full, and a rich flavor. (6)
Quality matters. Even dairy-free recipes that use heavy cream or regular butter can bother people who are sensitive to them.
Below are a few popular keto coffee styles, all packed with healthy fats to keep you in ketosis. You can make them hot or iced, blended or frozen.
Vanilla ketogenic coffee
This vanilla keto coffee is a tasty pick for anyone on the keto diet—and many non-keto drinkers enjoy it too. It can boost energy, support fat burning, supply healthy fats, and reduce cravings throughout the day, which may help if coffee usually makes you hungry. (7) Basically, it’s coffee with low-carb perks: sustained energy, less of a caffeine crash thanks to butter or MCT oil, and fats that help you feel full.
Ingredients
Directions
Keto iced coffee
Keto iced coffees are great for hot days. A Keto Iced Power Mocha gives quick energy without spiking blood sugar because it’s very low in carbs, and it keeps you cool. Caffeine refreshes and sharpens you, but if you avoid caffeine, choose a caffeine-free coffee instead. Keto iced coffee can raise energy and reduce tiredness. It also contains antioxidants and nutrients like B vitamins and minerals. Raw cacao and MCT oil may reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, help cholesterol and blood sugar, suppress appetite, and boost fat burning while preventing fat storage. (8)
Ingredients
Instructions
Bulletproof coffee
Bulletproof coffee is a common keto breakfast drink. It supplies healthy fats to start your day and offers vitamins and minerals that keep you going through the morning. Drinking it can boost energy, improve focus, help keep blood sugar steady, support metabolism, and aid fat loss. It’s rich in MCT oil or butter—healthy fats many people don’t get enough of—making this recipe a practical choice. (9)
Ingredients
Instructions
Note: Besides MCT oil, cinnamon or vanilla extract can add flavor. You can also use sugar-free syrup for sweetness.
Wrapping up
Keto coffee can be useful for people following a ketogenic diet. To make it more calorie-dense and fit your macros, add healthy keto fats. Used in moderation, keto coffee can support weight loss for those on a low-carb diet. But if you’re not limiting carbs, drinking high-fat coffee may lead to weight gain.
A typical keto coffee contains caffeine, fats from MCT oil and grass-fed butter, and sometimes protein from collagen peptides, giving a frothy, latte-like texture. Whether you’re on keto or not, adding the right fats to your coffee can increase energy, improve focus, raise ketone levels, help burn fat, and keep you feeling full.
References
(1) Daniels. R, Rensing NR, Thio LL, Yamada KA, Wong M. The ketogenic diet inhibits the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Epilepsia 2011; 52: e7–e11.
(2) Siri-Tarino, P. W., Sun, Q., Hu, F. B., & Krauss, R. M. (2010). Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(3), 535–546.
(3) Marciani, K., Cox, E. F., Pritchard, S. E., Major, G., Hoad, C. L., Mellows, M., Hussein, M. O., Costigan, C., Fox, M., Gowland, P. A., & Spiller, R. C. (2015). Additive effects of gastric volumes and macronutrient composition on the sensation of postprandial fullness in humans. European journal of clinical nutrition, 69(3), 380–384.
(4) St-Onge, M. P., & Bosarge, A. (2008). Weight-loss diet that includes the consumption of medium-chain triacylglycerol oil leads to a greater rate of weight and fat mass loss than olive oil. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 87(3), 621–626.
(5) Kratz M. (2005). Dietary cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease. Handbook of experimental pharmacology, (170), 195–213.
(6) Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research. Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2001. 2, Pharmacology of Caffeine.
(7) “Can Vanilla Keto Coffee Increase Your Metabolism and Help You Burn Fat?” — https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coffee-increase-metabolism
(8) Mumme, K., & Stonehouse, W. (2015). Effects of medium-chain triglycerides on weight loss and body composition: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(2), 249–263.
(9) How to make bulletproof coffee… and make your morning bulletproof. (2016, April 3)
Written by Alisha Ashton